A Tale of Skaian Countries, War, and Budding Romance
by arachnidsgripe
Summary: This story isn't about a single Romeo and Juliet, it isn't a tragic love story, but it sure as hell is a love story. This particular tale includes doomed romance, albeit multiple Romeos, and Juliets. Although, few characters may not end up dead, only time will tell. This story entails petty drama within the Skaian Country, four linked kingdoms, and exiles.
1. Chapter 1

In a distant land that went by the title of Skaia, what appeared to be two castles stood, looming over on opposite sides of the land. Roughly about the center of the land was a sudden split between the territories surrounding their respective dwellings, a border separating them like night and day. The castle on the right, ruled on half of the country, was an altogether bright and cheery abode, shedding waves of heavenly effulgence upon the land below as yellow banners billowed throughout the ample countryside, a moon-like crest embroidered carefully upon each. The bustling townsfolk clearly displayed their pride for their homeland, sporting yellow clothes, cloaks, and a yellow pin, pinned close to the breast of each citizen. This side of the country was known as The Land of Frost and Shade, ruled by two related families. Though peculiar it was that the two ruling families had opposing surnames, it will prove to be a rather trivial fact in this tale.

If one had happened to cross the border between both lands, this hypothetical individual would see a territory much like the other, but blanketed within darkness, the night spilling upon the townspeople. Where in the Land of Frost and Shade there exuded light and ease, yellow and gold tossed about upon every surface, there was instead a shade of purple which stood in dark contrast to its neighbor. Instead, purple was draped upon the figures of each citizen, the respective crescents all pinned against their breasts. The environment there was hushed, quiet; nary a common man spoke to each other as they toiled alongside the other in the streets, the perpetual night darkened by the looming, omnipresent shadow of the palace overlooking the entirety of the territory. The Land of Heat and Rain, as this harsh, silenced demesne was dubbed, happened to be ruled over by the Strider clan and the Lalonde family, these too related by blood. Though this side was obviously stricter than its neighbor, and did not seem overly welcoming upon first glance, its citizens were content to lead such an ornery lifestyle, and the rulers led a life of ease.

The newcomers to the country of Skaia often question why the two sides were so obviously divided, happening to be polar opposites; the question was rarely answered clearly, all those who had been asked replying in a similar, vague manner. The subtle war between the territories was hardly mentioned, although it merely happened to be a slight weakening in the resources of the opposing side; petty though it was, the battle of the wits that had accompanied this perpetual warfare happened to be a result of the shared agreement of peace. Strictly forbid to engage in true war, both territories forbid the crossing of the border into its neighboring country, save for official duties on the behalf of those authorized to do so.

The relations of the families that dwelt within the bright walls of the first territory was rather difficult to summarize easily. Jane Crocker, distant cousin to the supposed heir, John Egbert, was the blood relative of Jake English, who happened to be the cousin of Jade Harley. Lady Jane Crocker was a woman adept in both skills characteristic of her status and those typically bestowed upon the men, having taken an unorthodox oath of celibacy, deeming all men who had tried for her hand scum. Lady Jade Harley had adopted the characteristics expected of her brother, who had grown into an altogether weak-minded child. Wielding weapons with deadly ease, these ladies were both much far popular choices to ascend the throne, not only surpassing their male counterparts with their ability to reason and their fine skills as diplomats, but also possessing much more athletic capability than their respective siblings. Though custom dictated that the male receive the throne, the thought of such a poor ruler was particularly loathsome to the citizens, though Lord John Egbert was adored by all. Outshining them all, however, was Lord Jake English, who with his oddly endearing smile enchanted all he met. Smaller than most males, he instead busied himself with learning of the arts of old, studiously enhancing his knowledge of the chivalry of the knights of old. A lovely boy, he, too, was an unpopular candidate for the throne due to his overwhelmingly submissive demeanor, often allowing a potential rival to best him right away.

In the territory of Heat and Rain happened to exist a similar situation, although both the males and females were more than worthy to ascend the thrones themselves. The Lalonde family, united only by a pair of sisters, existed in a perpetual battle against the Strider clan. Though the sisters were intelligent, Lady Rose Lalonde was a woman of particularly fine taste, a highly sophisticated, reserved individual. Preferring to remain rather silent, she proved to be a skilled diplomat and exceedingly advanced in deceiving others. Guarding her true intentions, she led the country to the best of her ability towards the most fortuitous path, while Lady Roxy Lalonde was rather negligent, drowning her relationship-centric sorrows with a glass of wine. Impressive though her intellect was, she preferred to train in dozens of womanly arts, fancying herself a seductress. Her ability to adopt the persona of a male was fantastic, however, and she would often combine her ability to outwit the enemy with her body and her innate ability to duel with lethal success. The Strider clan was a separate entity, existing under a perpetual state of mystery. Lord Dave Strider was fairly intelligent, physically capable of harming an enemy easily; subduing opponents with strange riddles, he would slaughter while they listened, enveloped within a trance, time seeming to pause about them as he protected his home. His brother, however, was an enigma, preferring to remain alone. Though he did have dozens of women at his beck and call, he chose to exist without a romantic partner, growing more and more physically alluring with each passing day as he tinkered about with several pieces of advanced machinery, creating some truly impressive technological advances. Close though they were, each remained vaguely distant from the other, their shared intellect at constant odds as they battled to ascend the throne as quickly as possible.

The whole country exists within this state, change an unheard-of concept. A simple thief and a designer emerge from the shadows, however, and throw the entire state into an uproar, pitting the territories against each other in new ways as passions ignite between pairs...


	2. Chapter 2

p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Now, onto delving into the topic of more common matters in the kingdom, specifically the female duo that dwells inside the metaphorical walls of the Land of Frost and Shade. While some of the castle ongoings seem unorthodox to the residents, it is just rather pompous to the two commoners. Occasionally, the found themselves quite frustrated over the Nobles- one due to wanting to improve the castles exterior and design choices, while the other was infuriated over their riches, having been just out of her clutches. Being an exile from their homeland of Alternia had never permitted them to much luxury, despite the thief being on the higher rank of the species' blood caste system. This lady was never able to acquire a single cent from the castle, her only income being petty change snatched from bystanders. Although the other, a Jade blood, earned her keep by creating embroidered dresses, selling them for a small profit. It seemed like quite a shame to her, her dresses were of such high quality, all in the shabby color that represented her land- having been a dull gold./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It seems to have dawned on the author, whom is telling this tale, that their names have not been given yet! The topic is a very crucial matter, a name may be a powerful thing. One of the two was named Vriska Serket, a blue blooded thief who was exiled from her home for her past crimes, and sent to the Land of Frost and Shade. She was a very cunning and mischievous lady, quite lethal as well. She was an adept in the fine art of stealing- specifically, pick pocketing- , never finding herself caught once. Although, this is not saying she wasn't able to steal large quantities, Miss Serket would have been able to do it often, if her other half had not been supervising her. Kanaya Maryam was a young dame, and in quite a close bonded friendship with Vriska, often finding herself acting as her caretaker, as Vriska would nary elaborate on. She was quite the lady, with perfect posture and a keen eye for fashion. Many of the men in their land would enjoy being in a relationship with her, although they would half to be pining after her for as long as the infatuation was present. For Kanaya Maryam was only attracted to those of the female gender, contrary to the belief of researchers elaborating on the customs of her previous land, Alternia. Her Jade blood was a rare case indeed, and that is a popular belief as to her odd behavior for her race./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Panning to the booths, distant stream of curses was heard leaving a lady's lips- the please for help being lost in the bustling chatter of the area. The woman was yelling threats to the wind, damning whoever stole her merchandise to hell. The culprit was none other than Miss Serket, sporting a triumphant grin as she crept away from the shop. Being completely confident in her abilities, the girl had pushed the aforementioned talents to the extreme- all but robbing the booth to bankruptcy. As she had originally suspected, Vriska had gotten away without a trace. rifling through the jewelry with the distaste of an uncouth lady such as her, she stuffed the items into a pouch attached to her belt, making her way over to a small booth on which Kanaya Maryam sat in. Vriska never had an intention to keep the jewelry of course, it was never suited to her picky taste. The lady usually just handed it down to her friend, or sold it for a profit that would keep the two alive another few days./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Vriska was shot a disapproving look as the pouch was tossed onto Kanaya's work table, while she just gave a faux innocent smile and a shrug. Checking the poorly drawn calendar she had tacked up to her wall, Kanaya sighed, gingerly placing the dress she was working on into the box and standing up. It was the day to search for an occupation, routinely done by the duo once every week. It was usually bitterly cold when the two went out, and quite a pain to walk all the way to the border, but it had to be done. Perhaps they should set another date for their burden of an exposition- though it'd be quite a hassle to do so with such a busy schedule./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Vriska, I do believe we do not have time to scan through the jewelry, as it is time to search for lasting occupations." Kanaya said, snatching the pouch and locking it away. Jobs were hard to come by in their striving economy. Other than the booths that many commoners ran, earning an income was often hard, especially in steady bouts. Nonetheless, every new moon, the two ventured to the neutral territory, where a single job board was posted- scouring for good work./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Posthaste, the duo set out on the exposition- a lingering feeling of dread in their stomachs. Few new jobs littered the surface of the board, causing the impatient blue blood to let out a sigh of exasperation. As Kanaya stood behind her, the oh-so esteemed lady, a small pat of encouragement was provided. She plucked a pamphlet off of the board with flourish, Vriska trusted her usual luck to allow them something reliable. Clearing her throat with a dramatic intent, she began to read aloud:/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Help wanted: both LOFAS and LOHAR," the two acronyms being a name for the adjoined lands, "in need of a designer adept in gowns. Perks include: A steady flow f income- guaranteed a larger quantity that is usually granted to commoners, the privilege belonging to royal royal officials to cross the 'schism' between our rivaling lands in order to discuss with other representatives, and granted entrance to royal events such as balls, picnics, etc..." Vriska finished, lowering the paper. Her speaking voice was sharp and loud, even by her old homes standards. Her voice never took on the particular slange used in the land. Nonetheless, she had continued speaking in such a manner, although her usually sharp voice may take on a softer tone if the need would ever arise. "God, the rest of that notice was a drag, honestly. Though, we are granted a place to stay." She pause her spiel, drawing in a short breath./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""However, doesn't that sound exciting, Fussy Fangs?" Kanaya let out a irritable sigh at the nickname, how crude, "I believe that a thank you is due, for me snatching the paper for you, a reward of sorts. I know exactly what it will be.." Another sigh emitted from Kanaya, as her expectations were always quite high./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Kanaya, in her stunned stupor, quickly nodding her head, idly awaiting Vriska's demand. "Weeeeeeeell," She trailed, her elongating of words never brought good omens, "I need to borrow a few of your gown designs to get the ocupation here on the LOFAS side, and I know you'd get the position on the opposing side if you go for it there! It's too easy to get caught for fraud across the border. besides, we need this, Fussy fangs." There it was, the nickname one more. Vriska quirked her eyebrow, straightening her shoulders in an almost intimidating manner, while Kanaya thought the idea over./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Although it is exceptionally unorthodox, I suppose I shall allow you one of my designs that will deem you acceptable for the occupation, if you would like me to do so." She stated, a bit unsure of her decision. If she had refused, Vriska would have hassled her enough to change Kanaya's mind. She might have even resorted to using mind control, paranormal abilities were a certain perk most low blood trolls had, although Vriska somehow inherited it- despite her height on the caste. Kanaya had just hoped for the easy way out of Vriska's almost unintentional abuse./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Vriska granted Kanaya's wish, and nodded with a satisfied grin. It would take a lot of manipulative behavior to be granted with such a high standard job, but Vriska was quite determined for it. Although she did not know the first thing about sewing, some members of the palace weren't too observant of her actions, and she would get away with the dresses Kanaya provided her. But Kanaya, not as confident and sure as Vriska, was worried. Not for herself, of course, but for Miss Serket getting caught in her actions. She knew Vriska's nonchalant attitude and constant claims of having large quantities of luck would be frowned upon by some members of the castle, although not as harshly as it would on the other side of the border. Though, what aspects of her personality wasn't a nuisance to royalty?/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.1199998855591px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The two looked at each other, nodding on silent consent that their work of job hunting was done, and it was time to head back to the shabby booth and pack their bags. Both were about to be introduced to a new life in the castle, although, they did not know what they were getting themselves into. Not in the slightest./p 


	3. Chapter 3

To spare the wait, our author will tell the story of the thief first. On a cold day in December in The Land of Frost and Shade, with her golden cloak sporting the signature crest of her land, Vriska Serket made her way to the castle. If luck was in her favor (as it usually was), the elected people to chose who would be granted the duty of the royal fashion advisor would examine the designs she had with her, and have no questions. If not, she would be carried to jail due to fraud. Yes, the townswoman had acquired a few of her friend's best designs for applying in the said kingdom, being granted consent for once. It was quite a strain to convince Kanaya, who had a habit of changing her mind. Vriska had to resort to using only subtle mind control, although not proud of it. If her hard work failed to pay off, it was quite likely that Miss Serket would go into a fit of rage. Although, the worries were nonexistent in her mind, only confidence in her manipulative abilities.

Vriska had arrived at the castle in a short amount of time. The walls had a clinquant aura about them, seeing the castle up close was chimerical for anyone outside of it's walls. The cerulean blood gazed upon it with a hint of distaste, not for the castle itself, but for the residents who take refuge there. In the slums of the Land of Frost and Shade, rumors had been floating around about royal members. Quite a bit, actually. The men of the castle were very weak and fragile, which was contemporary to her. The weak never survived in her land, regardless of gender. Vriska could not comprehend why they were alive, much less dwelling in a castle.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (if no one is familiar with this saying, it means the location that we are about to be faced with. In this case, the castle.), the royal advisor was running around in a fretful daze, confirming that Sir John was looking at his finest. He was a very strict and pompous man, although lanky and quite short in size, almost rivaling Sir English. He was the man who made the job posting, and was going to choose wether or not the designer would be adequate to receive the position of a was never one to be trifled with, inspecting everything from inside out, deeming Vriska sure to be caught if he stayed in that place. But, Sir John, being interested on who was going to be introduced to castle life, consistently pestered the advisor, cracking the usual calm demeanor of the man, landing John the duty of allowing the applicant into the castle or not. So, there the boy sat on one side of the table, eagerly awaiting the presence of someone (who was a bit late).

After a few more minutes, the boy began to grow impatient. He knew someone was bound to show up, and not wanting to let them down, he stayed sitting there. But boredom overcame him, and he found that it was impossible for him to sit still without becoming rowdy. Fishing into his pocket, he pulled out a rubber ball, with the substances that made up the ball granting it to bounce. He made a game of throwing the ball against each wall with his eyes closed, and catching it in the palm of his hand. John barely got a few bounces of the ball in, before realizing at one moment it failed to recoil, deciding to crack open an eye. He was faced with Vriska Serket standing there, one hand holding her eye that did not seem to have a black fabric patch over it.

Vriska Serket, unable to see who the culprit was, swatted at the air in a small fit of blind rage. She had a creeping suspicion that whoever had the audacity to preform such a stunt was sporting a large smile, infuriating her all the more. While John did have a smile painted on his face, he was a bit curious as to who this girl was! There were very few exiles on his side of the land, especially not one that looked so similar to a human! The fact was surreal to the boy, often quite oblivious to the past hardships of said exiles, but still caring enough for the accidental strike to the face with a ball.

Ignoring her fury swipes, he chimed in, a bit of worry in his tone, "woah, are you okay? i'm so sorry!" John put on an apologetic smile, trying to suppress a giggle before sitting back down. His speech was less proper than expected, and he seemed downright silly, in a boyish manner. Vriska frowned, stumbling over to the table with the dresses. Post to sitting down on the opposite side of him, she rubbed at her eye, regaining eyesight and tilting her head up. The troll carefully took the dresses off of her arm, smoothing them out across the table. But John, he had a hand cupped over his mouth, giggles escaping every so often. Although it was heard by Vriska, she refused to look up in fear of lashing out. That would get her in more of a predicament than fraud, and she didn't prefer to cause elaborate fiascos that were contrary to her own benefit.

As she did lay the dresses out, John examined her. The horns and gray skin were peculiar enough, but her eye patch that covered her left eye was downright strange to him. he presumed it must have been an accident. John checked his watch, she was quite late, the registered time for an applicant during the interview was almost up. The brief minutes they had left may be enough to perceive the designs, if they were lucky, gather her name. Vriska took the time out of the interview purposely, of course. If she had appeared at the scheduled time for the meeting, her previous faults in Alternia would be unearthed for all residents in the castle to know about. Although the meeting was purposely ephemeral, the designs needed to be examined posthaste.

There the boy sat, a mute stupor about him- perhaps in awe at the intricate designs and arduous work that was most likely put into the ballgowns. He was never one for dresses and formal wear, but nonetheless intrigued him. Although Vriska, having been standing by for quite a long interval, had gotten impatient. Intrusively waving a hand in front of his face, she spoke up, "Excuse me? Are you even awake here? I have shit to do!" At that sentence, John bolted up to attention, a bit of stupefaction on his face. Members of the castle were not usually treated in such a matter, anyone who dared to would be whisked away to the nearest jail cell. This was another validation as to why Vriska looked upon all castle members as haughty, though Sir Egbert was quite the opposite.

Although I, the author, am required to tell you significant details to our heroes and heroins' lives, the show must go on. We must not dawdle on the astonished look on Sir Egbert's face, or childish reasons as to why Vriska hates royalty for long, for we have other business to attend to. I can guarantee that Vriska had been granted the employment she was hoping for, detesting the royal castle a bit less after her encounter with the boy. She had a small infatuation with his boyish ways and naive attitude, he seemed the least pompous of the castle dwellers in her perspective.

No doubt murmurs were heard in the halls as Vriska walked down with her shoulders held high, the source of them the castle workers. She had but only a day to pack up her things before heading into a new occupation. One that normally wouldn't require theft, although she may preform the crime anyway. Next we shall cover Miss Maryam's story, of her adventure in journeying to the opposite palace, of course. For these two actions are crucial for each character's stories to connect, and the major events to unfold.


	4. Chapter 4

The crossing of borders had been strenuous for Kanaya Maryam, having only barley kept her sanity after crossing. After searching for Vriska mere minutes before the two both set out to retrieve the paper, it slipped out of here hands soon after! Although Kanaya barely believed in luck, it had seemed to be in Miss Serket's favor all the more today, who had always seemed to have a large quantity of it. Nonetheless, the astray paper had to be chased after by her, ending up getting her gloves soaked in a puddle. After yanking them off and stuffing them irritably in a small puch, she had neatly folded the paper and set out for the border. Being accustomed to the long distance from traveling there quite often, although there will be very few needs for that anymore.

The Land of Heat and Rain was quite intimidating, to say the least. Not only were the looming fashion that the booths of that kingdom sported quite daunting, the citizens were as well! None ever stopped to utter a word to the other, even the shopkeepers kept quiet. Although, the citizens were known to be quite introverted. There seemed to be a different aura in the air on this particular day. While although quiet, the kingdom was almost always calm, but today, tension lingered in the air. Kanaya Maryam was from across what was known as the 'schism' between two lands, scornful looks were constantly being sent her way. Nonetheless, it was to be expected. The LOHAR dwellers were not known as spiteful by nature, unless to the opposing kingdom.

In fact, if not for the guards that appeared to be escorting her to the said castle (which was customary whenever a LOFAS dweller had the audacity to cross the border, even due to royal affairs), jeering words would be thrown at her by the townspeople. Although it'd be abnormal for them to speak out so uncouthly, the views that a royal adviser had forced onto the people had influenced them. It was not a singular adviser guilty of this, but both had taught each opposing land to stigmatize the other, causing great tension between them. What were once bonds between the two were now replaced with bitter hatred, in the time of this pre-war stage.

In the short distance to the castle, Kanaya Maryam could not help but worry. After all, Vriska hadn't the first clue of how to sew (although Kanaya had offered numerous time to educate the girl), barely managing to pitch in and help with fabric glue! Her constant claiming of having 'all of the luck' appeared to be merely a facade in Kanaya's eyes, although it was not certain, as Vriska had always managed to be adept in gambling. The only sense of relief that Miss Maryam could count on was the fact that Vriska would be taken easier than her, if she was to get caught. While the castle members of the Land of Frost and Shade didn't seem all the much observant, the opposing side was quite the contrary. The citizens, especially the castle dwellers, were over adequate in their sharp observation skills, as it was one of the things they were known for.

The guards had decided upon gripping Kanaya's arm as the vicinity of the castle was reached. Although she had vowed not to run and stir up trouble, they were still wary of the was even required to plug her ears while the guards had whispered a discreet code word, which was required for entrance to the castle. Handing Kanaya her carefully folded gowns, the guards led her into the castle.

Stupefied at the glamour of the interior, Kanaya peered around the halls. The picture of innocence printed on her face had caused the guards to release her, deeming the lady harmless and politely excusing themselves. It had dawned on Kanaya few minutes prior to the guard's absence that she had no idea in the slightest where she was inclined to go! A midst her panic, she had heard the clicking of heels approaching her. Straightening her composure, she glanced up at the lady in question. There stood Lady Rose Lalonde in all of her glory, offering Kanaya a hand.

"I would believe that you are here for the occupation posting, Miss... Maryam was it? Luckily for you, I am the assigned Lady to judge your work, and on our walk to the Sewing room we may be able to make idle chitchat about your records, as to get that out of the way," She said, swiftly taking Kanaya's dresses into her own hands, "Judging by the wrappings that you had put around your gowns, I would infer that you are quite serious about this, a redeeming quality." Rose turned her back, beginning to lead a quite stunned Kanaya to the interview room.

Lady Rose Lalonde had seemed to know quite a bit about Kanaya already, the idle chitchat that she had suggested was hardly necessary. Although, Kanaya's silence slong the way had not been quite inviting to conversation anyways. While she was hardly a pusillanimous soul, Lady Rose Lalonde had left her a bit dazed due to their first interaction, and all worry she had for Vriska in the opposing palace had fluttered away in a similar manner as the wind would. All that Kanaya had in mind the majority if the walk was the small wink Lady Lalonde had given her after identifying the townslady as 'redeeming'.

As soon as the two had arrived the door was flung open posthaste, and the dresses were gingerly unwrapped and placed on the table before them. Kanaya stood back as Rose examined each design contently, with the utmost gracefulness of course. The designs were all new, as she had to obtain purple fabric to meet the castle's needs. Each stitching was by hand, designs intricately woven into the fabric with metallic trimmings on the majority of the dresses. It was breathtaking for one as fashion-savvy as Lady Lalonde.

"You seem to be a very refined lady, Miss Maryam, and your designs are divine. This allows us to look past the fact you had been willingly exiled from your land," Rose started, as Kanaya looked down, embarrassed at the mention of her exile, "Although that may be a slight inconvenience, I am willing to grant you a job here in the castle." She finished, wrapping up the dresses for her. Kanaya let out a sigh of relief, that was one less thing to worry about. This would grant her both a place to stay, and a steady job in which she would be payed a fair amount.

Albeit, in the back of her mind lay the burdens. If Vriska had happened to get the job, it would take more than a surplus of luck to keep them alive. Teaching her at least the basics of sewing were a necessity, whether Vriska liked the idea or not. The stakes were indeed high for the two, all Kanaya wanted to focus on now was the quite enticing Lady Rose, and what shall unfold in the castle.


	5. Chapter 5

After Vriska Serket decided to depart from the royal palace, John Egbert had let out a small giggle. He hadn't been laughing at the girl he had been formerly faced with in particular, precisely at her reactions to his silly antics. John was not accustomed to her behavior quite yet, but it was a great deal of change from what he has grown used to. Although he is still a bit young, it was customary to treat the boy with high regards, as a kind-hearted heir to the throne often was. No one had ever looked at him with such a look of distaste as Vriska had, which set him into hours of pondering. Johnathan Egbert would not stand for such cold behavior towards him, so he had decided to do what his noble father had advised time and time again- kill her with kind gestures. Now, I'm sure you have all heard that phrase, and Lord Egbert was not one to behave in an aggressive manner in the slightest!

Meanwhile, Jade Harley sat outside with her distant cousin, Jake English. Having been adept both aim and the mechanics of a gun, she had decided to educate English on how to improve his skills. It was undeniably impossible to have any form of aim while wielding double pistols, but Sir English would hear none of it! The boy, sensitive as he may be, had labeled himself a top notch adventurer, despite his lack of journeying anywhere even remotely dangerous. After hours on end of discussing, Jade had convinced him to learn the ways of a rifle instead. Thus, instead of improving his terrible aim, Jade taught him how to work an easier gun.

Sighing as he failed to cock the rifle yet again, Jade had lowered her head in exhaustion.

"jake, it is a necessity we take a brief siesta! you are not even strong enough to cock the rifle! this is absurd!" She exclaimed, turning her back to him. Jake had sent a pleading expression in the girl's direction, before cautiously deciding to make small commentary.

"Jade, i am begging you! If i learn how to aim such a dastardly contraption properly i shall be one step closer unto having others acknowledge me as a proper hero! At the minimum a dapper young man." Jake grinned, heaving his hands up in a jubilant manner, after dropping the gun. Groaning in exasperation, Jade distributed the gun to Jake, trudging over to the designated shooting area. Prior to having a chance to load her rifle, her sibling came scampering out of the castle- which tended to be quite an uncouth manner for someone of his status. Jade let out a sigh of relief at his intrusion, laying her precious rifle down on a wooden table as she turned to face him.

"jade! so, you are aware of that job posting for a castle apparel couturier, correct?" the heir questioned expeditiously, not paying any consciousness as to what her reply was.

"well, after a bit of... compromising with the official affair planner, the duty to assign who was to be granted such a job was thrust upon me! i ended up choosing one of the ONLY exiles in the land of frost and shade, she was awe-inspiring." He concluded, taking a breath prior to his spiel. Out of all the citizens that had applied, he had conceivably chosen the girl worst fit for the occupation, although he wasn't quite alert on the fact.

Jade Harley shook her head. Despite her naive sibling, she indeed had a great mental capacity, far surpassing the male dwellers of the palace. By instinct, she knew that John would have gotten bored quite easily, due to his microscopic attention span in matters of business. Thus, he would choose the first available target whom was fit for the duty. Albeit, if it was her or Lady Jane, precise observation of each applicant would be taken. Although at the moment, Lady Jane Crocker was nowhere to be found!

Her absence had often been a recurrence among the castle-dwellers, Jane had spent a great deal of her time researching old detectives of her time, occasionally setting up scenarios in which she would have to solve a mystery! It was only on those occasions that Jane would require the accompaniment of all of her extended siblings.

Now, let us locate this woman! Jane Crocker, mystery extraordinaire, had been taking refuge in a dumbwaiter, quite a large one at that. Her burly frame usually suffered much difficulty in removing herself from the crawlspace, but hardly any mishaps in entering! This lady had landed herself in a predicament.

It befuddled her, she had the consistency of being on-guard about any and all things, how did she manage to get caught in a crawlspace? News had been floating around about a new castle employee, and without getting into some turmoil with the castle advisor, Jane had made finding out who it was a necessity. Thus, she had staked out in the dumbwaiter near the interview room, close enough to hear the vocals clearly through the thin walls.

The occasional thump she had heard during her time in the interview had piqued her curiosity, as the castle advisor would never be so reckless as to let anything fall to the ground. Moments later, a momentary wail filled her ears, followed by the miniscule giggle of a boy. She knew the current whereabouts of Jake, thus the chances of such a giggle emitting from him was unlikely.

A sigh escaped Jane's as realization dawned on her, the lady's broad shoulders visibly slumping. John was a darling boy, really, but he had no experience in dealing with such matters! It must have taken a great deal of time to convince the uptight affair manager to allow the boy such an honor.

The source of the said thumping was revealed to the woman as well. It was apparent that the young heir had been playing with his set of toy rubber balls. Ever since his usual shenanigans were reaped from his grasp, an interest in such trivial toys sparked in the young man. But that is of no matter anymore, for he has since struck the applicant with the ball, and began the interview. The timespan had been quite brief, and few minutes later she heard the clacking of shoes on the mahogany floors.

Peeking through a crack in Jane's crawlspace, she saw quite the spectacle. For the applicant was no one indigenous to their land, but a foreign citizen whom had long, bone like structures poking out of their head. She sported a triumphant smile, occasionally fiddling with her unscrupulous long hair. What had drawn attention the most seemed to be the eyepatch that donned the left side of her face, along with her grey skin.

The outward appearance would have allowed the perfect distraction- in fact, Jane almost didn't see the woman slip something from a nearby table into her cloak. Contrary to calling out, as a normal castle member typically would, Jane continued to watch on. It was to her knowledge that this mysterious thief would be taking refuge here. Jane had come to the conclusion that more was to be found out about this silhouette of a woman.


End file.
